Scaffolds are commonly used for supporting workmen and materials during the construction or repair of a building. The typical scaffold is made of tubular members arranged horizontally and vertically so as to form a three-dimensional framework. To reach the upper portions of the scaffold, workmen typically climb from one horizontal member to the next. Since the tubular members do not offer a particularly secure footing to climbers, slip-and-fall injuries are common.
In an effort to eliminate harm of this sort, independent steps for attachment to a single horizontal member of a scaffold have been proposed. It is believed that these steps have not received widespread acceptance since they have had a tendency to rotate upon the tubular scaffold members to which they are fastened. Thus, a workman may tread upon a properly installed, prior art scaffold step only to have it rotate and throw him to the ground.